PRINT ON DEMAND VIRTUAL BUILDER

• US 20030140315A1
• Filed: 06/07/1999
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lutris Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lutris Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: BLUMBERG, ROBERT EVANS, MORGAN, PAUL ALISTAIR
• Application Number:
  US09/326,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20030140315A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/527
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A method for creating and viewing content to be printed, including the steps of receiving an electronic document, selecting, in response to user input, finishing options for the electronic document, and displaying, in response to the selecting, how the electronic document would appear as a finished document, if printed in accordance with the finishing options. A system is also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method for creating and viewing content to be printed, comprising the steps of:

receiving an electronic document;

selecting, in response to user input, finishing options for the electronic document; and

displaying, in response to said selecting, how the electronic document would appear as a finished document, if printed in accordance with the finishing options.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the finishing options include paper characteristics.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the finishing options include descriptions of front and back covers.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the finishing options include binding instructions.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the finishing options including tab insert characteristics.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the finishing options include folding instructions.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the finishing options include hole punching instructions.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the finishing options include lamination characteristics.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of storing the finishing options electronically.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of computing costs for printing the electronic document in accordance with the finishing options.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of processing a customer order to print a prescribed number of copies of the electronic document in accordance with the finishing options.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of assigning a job tracking number to the customer order.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of providing status information regarding the customer order based on the job tracking number.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of billing a customer for the customer order.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of scheduling production work in a production center based on the customer order, to generate one or more printed documents.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of scheduling delivery of the one or more printed documents to a customer.

17. A method for creating and viewing content to be printed, comprising the steps of:

receiving an electronic document;

selecting, in response to user input, finishing options for the electronic document; and

storing the finishing options electronically.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the finishing options include paper characteristics.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the finishing options include descriptions of front and back covers.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the finishing options include binding instructions.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the finishing options including tab insert characteristics.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the finishing options include folding instructions.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the finishing options include hole punching instructions.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein the finishing options include lamination characteristics.

25. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of displaying, in response to said selecting, how the electronic document would appear as a finished document, if printed in accordance with the finishing options.

26. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of computing costs for printing the electronic document in accordance with the finishing options.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of processing a customer order to print a prescribed number of copies of the electronic document in accordance with the finishing options.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of assigning a job tracking number to the customer order.

29. The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of providing status information regarding the customer order based on the job tracking number.

30. The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of billing a customer for the customer order.

31. The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of scheduling production work in a production center based on the customer order, to generate one or more printed documents.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising the step of scheduling delivery of the one or more printed documents to a customer.

33. A system for creating and viewing content to be printed, comprising:

a document acquisition unit receiving an electronic document;

a user interface setting, in response to user input, finishing options for the electronic document; and

a display device displaying how the electronic document would appear as a finished document, if printed in accordance with the finishing options.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the finishing options include paper characteristics.

35. The system of claim 33 wherein the finishing options include descriptions of front and back covers.

36. The system of claim 33 wherein the finishing options include binding instructions.

37. The system of claim 33 wherein the finishing options including tab insert characteristics.

38. The system of claim 33 wherein the finishing options include folding instructions.

39. The system of claim 33 wherein the finishing options include hole punching instructions.

40. The system of claim 33 wherein the finishing options include lamination characteristics.

41. The system of claim 33 further comprising a memory storing the finishing options electronically.

42. The system of claim 33 further comprising a cost processor computing costs for printing the electronic document in accordance with the finishing options.

43. The system of claim 42 further comprising a transaction processor processing a customer order to print a prescribed number of copies of the electronic document in accordance with the finishing options, and billing a customer for the customer order.

44. The system of claim 43 further comprising a job tracking processor assigning a job tracking number to the customer order.

45. The system of claim 43 further comprising a status processor providing status information regarding the customer order based on the job tracking number.

46. The system of claim 43 further comprising a scheduler scheduling production work in a production center based on the customer order.

47. A system for creating and viewing content to be printed, comprising:

a document acquisition unit receiving an electronic document;

a user interface setting, in response to user input, finishing options for the electronic document; and

a memory storing the finishing options electronically.

48. The system of claim 47 wherein the finishing options include paper characteristics.

49. The system of claim 47 wherein the finishing options include descriptions of front and back covers.

50. The system of claim 47 wherein the finishing options include binding instructions.

51. The system of claim 47 wherein the finishing options including tab insert characteristics.

52. The system of claim 47 wherein the finishing options include folding instructions.

53. The system of claim 47 wherein the finishing options include hole punching instructions.

54. The system of claim 47 wherein the finishing options include lamination characteristics.

55. The system of claim 47 further comprising a display device displaying how the electronic document would appear as a finished document, if printed in accordance with the finishing options.

56. The system of claim 47 further comprising a cost processor computing costs for printing the electronic document in accordance with the finishing options.

57. The system of claim 56 further comprising a transaction processor processing a customer order to print a prescribed number of copies of the electronic document in accordance with the finishing options, and billing a customer for the customer order.

58. The system of claim 57 further comprising a job tracking processor assigning a job tracking number to the customer order.

59. The system of claim 57 further comprising a status processor providing status information regarding the customer order based on the job tracking number.

60. The system of claim 57 further comprising a scheduler scheduling production work in a production center based on the customer order.

61. A method for viewing content to be printed using electronically stored finishing options, comprising the steps of:

retrieving the finishing options; and

displaying the electronic document in accordance with the finishing options.

62. A system for viewing content to be printed using electronically stored finishing options, comprising:

a memory storing the finishing options; and

a display device displaying the electronic document in accordance with the finishing options.